Priming device for pumps



June 29, 1943.

A. P. ADNEY ET AL 2,322,910

PRIMING DEVICE FOR PUMPS Filed April 7, 1941 INV EN 1 CR5 Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRIMING DEVICE FOR- PUMPS Adrian P. Adney and Benjamin D. Barton, Battie Creek, Mich, assignors to American-Marsh Pumps, Inc., Battle Creek, Mich.

Application April I, 1941, Serial No. 387,204

.GCllilns.

This invention relates to improvements in priming device for a pump.

The main objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an improved primer for engine driven and engine primed pumps in which the possibility of damagin the engine in consequence of its priming function is eliminated.

Second, to provide a. priming device of the foregoing character which is extremely quick and effective in its action of evacuating air from an engine driven pump casing.

Third, to provide a device of the type described which is simple in its part and not likely to become jammed, but which has provision for nullifying the damaging effect of jamming should it occur. r

Further objects relating to details and economies of my invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims. I

A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view somewhat diagrammatically illustrating the priming structure of the presentinvention in an arbitrary relation to a pump and an engine employed in operating the priming device and pump.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical section illustrating structural details and relationships in the priming device of my invention.

Generally considered the present invention relates to priming devices for centrifugal engine driven pumps. and more particularly to pumps of this character in which the priming device is operated from the intake manifold of the pump actuating engine. In hitherto known priming devices of this type, notwithstanding the fact that priming cut-off provisions have been utiliaed to terminate the operation when the pump reaches a primed condition, cases have occurred in which the engine cylinder head was damaged due to induction of water or liquid into the intake manifold following the priming of the pump.

Such is usually due to jamming of the parts.-

The present structure has relatively simple yet highly effective means incorporated thereinfor eliminating any likelihood of such damage in a positive and unfailing manner.

Referring to the drawing the reference numeral I is employed to indicate a portion of the casing or volute of a rotary centrifugal pump to which the priming device 2 of the present in vention is suitably connected by fittings 3 and interposed flexible hose 4, this connection preferably being on the intake side of the pump.

The reference numeral 5 designates an internal combustion engine of conventional type to the intake manifold 6 of which the priming device 2 is connected by means of an air line I.

The priming device 2 consists of a hollow primer body or casing 8 which is adapted to be secured as by bolts 9 to a suitable supporting surface, preferably beneath the hood of the actuating engine 5. In practice the attachment is preferably made' to the engine cylinder block, to the end that the heat of the engine shall prevent freezing of water in the primer when operated in cold weather.

The casing 8 provides a lower relatively large intake and float chamber In into the lower side of which the liquid intake fitting 3v is tapped and in this chamber a float l l is pivotally mounted at l2 on an arm It. The casing 8 has an opening H on the top thereof which is closed by the bottom attaching flan e l5 of an upper combined valve and safety mechanism housing It. This housing has a bottom wall or floor v member I! provided with a valve opening or port It for connecting the interior thereofwith the interior of the float chamber Hi, there being an intermediate relatively small chamber I! interposed between opening it andchamber Ill serving as a valve chamber. Th housing l6 likewise has horizontal web or partition members 20, 2| therein, these being apertured in vertical alignment with valve opening it at 22', 23, respectively. Aperture 22 serves as a guide for the vertical reciprocation of a valve stem 24 while aperture 23 acts as a secondary valve opening or port communicating with the atmosphere. Stem II has secured thereto ball valve members 25, 26 coacting respectively with valve openings I8, 23, the valve members being disposed on opposite sides of said openings, An extension of valve stem 24 projects downwardly beneath the ball valve 25 for engagement withfloat arm l3. whereby the valve members 25, 26 are elevated or lowered in accordance with the movement of float II in the float chamber. This stem extension is guided beneath valve member 25 by a guide or spider 26! secured to flange ii of the housing It. a

In normal operation when the valve members are elevated by lifting engagement of float arm IS with the valve stem the passage or liquid through inlet valve opening l8 is cut off, the interior of housing It being then placed in communication with the atmosphere through port 23. The member 21 shown covering the upper ball valve member 26 is a shield or guard integral with the closure 21! for upper housing It for protecting the upper valve member 26; the side wall of this member is spaced from the housing at 212 for the entrance of air. To enable the ball valve members 25, 26 to be adjusted as desired relative to one another the valve stem is referably threaded for the adjustable mounting of at least one of the valve members thereon.

,An auxiliary safety float 28 is disposed in a compartment 29 of the housing I 6 laterally adjacent and communicating with valve port l3. This float is vertically guided by a stem 30 thereon which is slidable in a guide 3| disposed internally of said compartment. The top of compartment 23 has an air passage 32 therein communicating with the air line I, this passage entering the compartment through a valve opening or port 33 which is controlled by safety ball valve member 34. This valve member 34 is adjustably mounted on an extension 35 of stem 30 whereby the valve and float are suitably guided in the housing IS. A bleeder or vent cock 36 is tapped in said housing above and in communication with valve opening 33 and air passage 32, this cock being manually adjustable to admit air into the housing when desired so as to break any vacuum existent therein.

It will be noted that a small air bleeder opening or vent 31 is likewise formed in the partition of housing It in which the control valve opening I8 is disposed, this bleeder vent opening serving to prevent unequal pressure conditions on opposite sides of the partition.

In operation when the vent or bleeder c ock 36 is closed, the vacuum of the intake manifold is effective to draw air from the pump casing I through the priming device. Attending the with? drawal of the air and as water is likewise drawn through the connection of the primer, it fills the lower chamber l raising the float and float controlled ball valve member 25 to shut off the flow of water further in the primer. If the float operates properly to terminate the liquid flow when chamber I0 is filled, the auxiliary safety trap mechanism in housing I 6 does not come into operation. However, if the mechanism in the lower chamber l0 fails to operate as a result of jamming or other cause, control valve member 25 will not be seated against opening l8 and the liquid will rise into the upper chamber 29 lifting safety float 28 and closing the safety ball valve 34 so as to effectively cut off communication of the engine vacuum with the primer and prevent water from being drawn into the intake manifold. The area of the ball valve 34 exposed in the opening 33 is such that the float 28 and ball 34 are held against the seat or opening 33 even though the water level recedes slightly in the upper safety chamber 29. Obviously then, the primer cannot be operated again until the vent or bleeder cook 36 is opened permitting air to enter and release ball member 34 from its seat on opening 33.

If by chance the lower float mechanism has failed or jammed so that the operator cannot prime the pump and he finds that the safety mechanism 28-34 has operated, if he releases the same by venting air in the manner described and starts to prime over again, similar results will be obtained, which will indicate clearly to the operator that the primer is not functioning properly and needs investigation. Hence it follows: that failure of the p imer, if it occurs, is readily detected without causing any destructive effect on the engine.

Though particularly devised for use in connec than in a limiting sense, and with full intention to include equivalents of the features shown and described, within the scope of the following claims.

Havingthus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a priming device of the class described, the combination of a main float chamber adapted to be connected to a pump to be primed, an auxiliary float chamber disposed in an elevated relation to said main float chamber and having a suction line port at the top thereof, a port connecting the top of said main float chamber with the bottom of said auxiliary float chamber, an upwardly seating main valve coacting with said port, a float in said main float chamber operatively associated with said main valve for closing the same when the main float is actuated, an air vent valve operatively connected to said main valve to be closed when said main valve is opened and to be opened when said main valve is closed for admitting air to said suction line through said auxiliary float chamber, there being a restricted bleeder connection between said float chambers, an upwardly seating auxiliary safety valve coacting with said suction line port, a float in said auxiliary float chamber operatively associated with said auxiliary safety valve to close the same when the float in said auxiliary float chamber is actuated, and a manually controlled suction line vent valve disposed at the rear of said auxiliary safety valve, said auxiliary float chamber and said auxiliary float being of such relative dimensions that a surge of water in said auxiliary chamber tends to actuate the auxiliary float to seat the auxiliary safety valve, the inlet to said auxiliary float chamber being below said auxiliary float.

2. In a priming device of the class described, the combination of a main float chamber adapted to be connected to a pump to be primed, an auxiliary float chamber disposed in an elevated relation to said main float chamber and having a suction line port at the top thereof, a port connecting the top of said main float chamber with the bottom of said auxiliary float chamber, an upwardly seating main valve coacting with said port, a float in said main float chamber operatively associated with said main valve for closing the same when the main float is actuated, an air vent valve operatively connected to said main valve to be closed when said main valve is opened and to be opened when said main valve is closed for admitting air to said suction line through said auxiliary float chamber, an upwardly seating auxiliary safety valve coacting with said suction line port, a float in said auxiliary float chamber operatively associated with said auxiliary safety valve to close the same when the float in said auxiliary float chamber is actuated, and a. manually controlled suction line vent valve disposed at the rear of said auxiliary safety valve.

3. In a priming device of the class described, the combination of a main float chamber adapted to be connected to a pump to be primed, an auxiliary float chamber disposed in an elevated relation to said main float chamber and having a suction line port at the top thereof, a port connecting the top of said main float chamber with the bottom of said auxiliary float chamber, an upwardly seating main valve coacting with said port, a float in said main float chamber operatively associated with said main valve for closing the same when the main float is actuated, an air vent valve operatively connected to said main valve to be closed when said main valve is opened and to be opened when said main valve is closed for admitting air to said suction line through said auxiliary float chamber, an upwardly seating auxiliary safety valve coacting with said suction line port and a float in said auxiliary float chamber operatively associated with said auxiliary safety valve to close the same when the float in said auxiliary float chamber is actuated.

4. In a priming device of the class described, the combination of a main float chamber adapted to be connected to a pump to be primed, an auxiliary float chamberconnected to said main float chamber and having a suction line connection, a main valve for controlling said connection for said float chamber, a float in said main float chamber operatively associated with said main valve for closing the same when the main float is actuated, an air vent valve operatively connected to said main valve to be closed when said main valve is opened and to be opened when said main valve is closed for admitting air to said suction line, there being a restricted bleeder connection between said float chambers, an auxiliary safety valve for controlling said suction line connection of said au..iliary chamber, a float in said auxiliary chamber operatively associated with said auxiliary safety valve to close the same when the float in said auxiliary chamber is actuated, and a manually controlled suction line vent means disposed at the rear of said auxiliary safety valve, said auxiliary chamber and said auxiliary float being of such relative dimensions that a surge of water in said auxiliary chamber tends to actuate the auxiliary float to seat the auxiliary safety valve.

5. In a priming device of the class described, the combination of a main float chamber adapted to be connected to a pump to be primed, an auxiliary float chamber connected to said main float chamber and having a suction line connection, a main valve for controlling said connection for said float chamber, a float in said main float chamber operatively associated with said main valve for closing the same when the main float is actuated, an air vent valve operatively connected to said main valve to be closed when said main valve is opened and to be opened when said main valve is closed for admitting air to said suction line, an auxiliary safety valve for controlling said suction line connection of said auxiliary chamber, a float in said auxiliary chamber operatively associated with said auxiliary safety valve to close the same when the float in said auxiliary chamber is actuated, and a manually controlled suction line vent means disposed at the rear of said auxiliary safety valve.

6. In a priming device of the class described, the combination of a main float chamber adapted to be connected to a pump to be primed, an auxiliary float chamber connected to said main float chamber and having a suction line connection, a main valve for controlling said connection for said float chamber, a float in said main float chamber operatively associated with said main valve for closing the same when the main float is actuated, an auxiliary safety valve for controlling said suction line connection of said auxiliary chamber and a float in said auxiliary chamber operatively associated with said auxiliary safety valve to close the same when the float in said auxiliary chamber is actuated.

ADRIAN P. ADNEY. BENJAIWIN D. BARTON. 

